Process for the production of anti-human protein antibody

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the production of anti-human protein antibody, comprising induction of the antibody production in non-human warm-blooded animal cells capable of producing said antibody by injecting into a non-human warm-blooded animal a human protein-saccharide conjugate, obtained by covalent attachment of a human protein with a saccharide, and harvesting the resulting anti-human protein antibody. The antibody, prepared according to the invention, contains an extremely higher amount of immunoglobulin G than that obtained by conventional method while it contains slight or substantially no immunoglobulin E. Therefore, the antibody can be used advantageously for diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic administration in the prevention and treatment of human diseases.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a process for producing anti-human protein antibody, which comprises administering a human protein to a non-human warm-blooded animal as an antigen, feeding the animal for a period sufficient to accumulate a substantial amount of anti-human protein antibody in the serum, and harvesting the resultant anti-human protein antibody from the serum, the improvement, whereby the production of immunoglobulin G antibody is extremely enhanced, and whereby the formation of undesirable immunoglobulin E antibody is completely suppressed or diminished, wherein said human protein which is administered to the non-human warm-blooded animal is a human protein-saccharaide conjugate comprising an antigenic human protein covalently attached to a member selected from the group consisting of pullulan, elsinan, their partial hydrolysates and mixtures thereof, having an average molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 10,000,000. 
     
     
       2. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said human protein is a member selected from the group consisting of human interferon, human urokinase, human lymphoblastoid protein and human chorionic gonadotropin. 
     
     
       3. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said covalent attachment is effected by a method which is diazo, peptide, alkylation, cross-linking or disulfide method. 
     
     
       4. A human protein-saccharide conjugate consisting of an antigenic human protein covalently attached to a member selected from the group consisting of pullulan, elsinan, their partial hydrolysates and mixtures thereof, having an average molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 10,000,000. 
     
     
       5. A human protein-saccharide conjugate in accordance with claim 4, wherein said human protein is a member selected from the group consisting of human interferon, human urokinase, human lymphoblastoid protein and human chorionic gonadotropin. 
     
     
       6. A human protein-saccharide conjugate in accordance with claim 4, wherein said covalent attachment is effected by a method which is diazo, peptide, alkylation, cross-linking or disulfide method. 
     
     
       7. An anti-human protein antibody preparation high in immunoglobulin G component and low in immunoglobulin E component produced by the process of claim 1.